Data Entry Specialist salary in Louisville, KY-IN
No other area in Kentucky pays data entry specialists more than Louisville: the median is $43,570 a year1. That is 18.2% above the Kentucky statewide median of $36,870, and 5.4% above the US median of $41,340. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#84 of 394). It is the largest market for the job in Kentucky: about 510 people.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Louisville against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | $31,480 | $43,570 | $55,490 | |
| Kentucky | $29,280 | $36,870 | $50,910 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Louisville earns $36,410–$47,480. The top tenth earns $55,490 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.9 times. The mean ($43,150) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $11,070 wide, against $14,400 across Kentucky and $12,650 nationally: employers in Louisville pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a data entry specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,480 | $2,623 | $15.13 | $40,619 |
| 25th percentile | $36,410 | $3,034 | $17.50 | $46,981 |
| Median | $43,570 | $3,631 | $20.95 | $56,219 |
| 75th percentile | $47,480 | $3,957 | $22.83 | $61,265 |
| 90th percentile | $55,490 | $4,624 | $26.68 | $71,600 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $3,910 over it, while the 25th sits $7,160 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $5,045 more a year with benefits. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $41,340 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Louisville, and the Kentucky statewide median of $36,870 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Louisville
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $12,649 to the $43,570 median and brings it to $56,219 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for data entry specialists we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Louisville
Of the 17 roles we track in Louisville, this one ranks #15 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($43,580) and customer support specialists ($41,600). Project Coordinator is the highest at $82,660.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +2.0% | 7,910 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +0.0% | 450 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 510 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -4.5% | 13,630 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -20.8% | 3,330 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 17 roles we track in Louisville (+5.4%); sales development representatives come last (-21.1%). The typical role here is at -5.6%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost more in Louisville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 0.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Louisville, 1.0% across Kentucky and 0.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 7 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $32,950 in the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area to $43,570 in Louisville, a gap of $10,620 a year. No other area in Kentucky has as many data entry specialists, and all 6 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Louisville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | this area | 510 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -7.7% | 30 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -10.6% | 80 | |
| East Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -15.4% | 30 | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | -17.8% | 470 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | -23.1% | 50 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -24.4% | 330 |
Louisville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Louisville is #44 of 389 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Kentucky, Atlanta-Sandy Springs and Fort Collins-Loveland pay just above Louisville and Columbus and Dayton-Kettering just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Louisville. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Louisville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +4.7% | 520 | jobs | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +0.2% | 60 | pay | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | +0.1% | 1,810 | pay | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | this area | 510 | ||
| Columbus, OH | -0.0% | 810 | pay | |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | -0.2% | 230 | pay | |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | -6.1% | 500 | jobs | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | -12.7% | 510 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Louisville, KY-IN?
About $56,219 a year at the median, or $4,685 a month: $43,570 in pay plus about $12,649 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Louisville?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $43,570 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,480, the 90th $55,490, and the middle half earned $36,410 to $47,480.
Is Louisville the most expensive area in Kentucky for data entry specialists?
Yes. Its median of $43,570 is the highest of 7 areas in Kentucky. The West Kentucky nonmetro area comes next at $40,220.
How many data entry specialists work in Louisville?
BLS counts about 510 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Kentucky has as many.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a customer support specialist in Louisville?
Yes: $1,970 a year more at the median. The medians are $43,570 and $41,600.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-9021: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.